Meteorites,Comets and Asteroids

In the next five years, no fewer than five spacecraft will attempt to rendezvous with a comet or asteroid. More than 125 years ago, the visionary author, Jules Verne, described his own incredible version of how astronomers might explore the solar system--from a unique cometary

Atop a Chilean mountain- in the driest place on Earth- a new telescope promises to seek out distant stars that harbor planets. 'First light' showed that a star's velocity can be detected with the astonishing accuracy equivalent to the speed of a pedestrian's walk (within

In the final part of this series, the debate participants respond to questions posed by our readers. Such questions include: "Are nuclear detonations, such as those depicted in the movie 'Armageddon', the best way to divert asteroids?"

To survive its fiery descent through a planet's atmosphere, hitching a ride inside a protective carbon bubble may have improved the survival chances of organic life if it came from interplanetary fragments.

Few meteorite discoveries can rival the one that fell in 1969, just 60 miles north of Melbourne, Australia. Called the Murchison meteorite, the rock's interior showed signs of the protein building blocks of life.

Few night-sky events engage one's fascination like the chance streaks of meteoric lights. This week's selected image gallery displays some of the most memorable and important astrobiological events ever captured on film.

A new planet has been discovered in the southern constellation, Canis Major (The Great Dog). The Jupiter-like planet orbits a Red Giant star--more than 400 light-years away and the second most distant planetary system yet.

What role did Jupiter play in the development of complex life on Earth? Understanding this question - and determining how many other Jupiter-mass planets are out there - might help us estimate the likelihood of finding life elsewhere in the galaxy.